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Does Muslims eating food with Christians on Christmas lead to committing ‘kufr’? Here is what Darul Uloom Deoband says

OpIndia Staff
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Does Muslims eating food with Christians on Christmas lead to committing ‘kufr’? Here is what Darul Uloom Deoband says

As the world celebrates Christmas across the globe, one may think what Darul Uloom Deoband might think about Muslims eating food with the Christians on the occasion. Darul Uloom Deoband, which has a long history of issuing controversial fatwas, regularly publishes answers to queries sent by devote Muslims on its websites. One such question was sent by a Muslim seeking answer about eating food with Christians on Christmas and whether it nullifies his Nikah as he might have committed ‘Kufr’.

In his question to the Mufti at Darul Uloom Deoband, the person said that he was the only Muslim in his office and that the rest of the people were Christians. One of his colleagues ordered pizza on Christmas to celebrate the festival. The Muslim person seeking a reply offered to pay for his share, but his colleague refused to take it, and he ate the pizza anyway. As he celebrated another religion’s festival, he was scared that he might have committed ‘kufr’. Furthermore, he was confused if his Nikah was deemed invalid by committing ‘Kufr’, and whether he had to renew it.

Source: darulifta-deoband.com

The Mufti said that there was no need to worry about the nikah becoming invalid due to this reason, and said that renewal of the nikah won’t be required. But the Mufti at Darul Uloom Deoband added that the Muslim man has done a wrong thing, and he should avoid this in future.

In the reply, the Mufti said, “Though this participation was not right, you should avoid it in future, but renewing the Nikah will not be required on the accounts of the activities you did there. Yes, if you performed some other things, then you should ask the question again, writing it clearly.”

Deobandi Islam is said to be the most widely practised form of Islam in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, with many senior Afghan and Pakistani Taliban leaders attending Deobandi seminaries. A large number of questions on the website of Darul Uloom Deoband website seek solutions from the Deobandi school on family, health, marriage relationship, and other topics.

What is Kufr?

In Islam, Kufr refers to ‘not believing in Allah and His Messenger’. As per the islamqa.info website, it means “not believing in Allah and His Messenger, whether that is accompanied by denial or it is not accompanied by denial but rather doubt, or turning away from faith out of jealousy or arrogance, or because one is following whims and desires that prevent one from following the message.”

About Darul Uloom Deoband

Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (Darul Uloom) in India, the birthplace of the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement. It is situated in Deoband, a town in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. Deoband has been famous for issuing controversial Fatwas for a long. In May 2010, clerics from a Deobandi school issued a fatwa declaring that men and women cannot work in public offices together unless the ladies are appropriately clad.

Deobandi Islam is the most popular type of teaching in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and numerous major Afghan and Pakistani Taliban commanders are said to have studied at Deobandi seminaries. According to some estimates, 15 to 25% of Pakistani Sunnis identify as Deobandi. Terrorist organizations in Pakistan, such as the TTP, SSP, and LeJ, take their inspiration from the Deobandi doctrine. Furthermore, the Deobandi Islamic movement is supported by the vast majority of Bangladeshi Sunni Muslims.

The Taliban Connection of Deoband and Darul Uloom

It is worth mentioning that the Taliban, which has lately come to prominence and effectively controls Afghanistan, is inspired by the Deobandi movement. The Taliban is described in Wikipedia as a Deobandi Islamist movement and a military group in Afghanistan involved in waging jihad within the country.

Not just Wikipedia, but an article published in the New York Times in 2002 underlined the Taliban’s relationship with the UP town of Deoband. The article “Indian town’s seed grew into the Taliban code” explored how extreme Islamist doctrine sprouted in a town in Uttar Pradesh and inspired the jihadist movement on the other side of the Durand Line, which separates Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Though the questions on the website appear to be amusing and frivolous, the seminary’s past convinces us that they are not trivial and may have severe implications. The Taliban connection of Darul Uloom and the subscription of their beliefs among key terrorist groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region should not be underestimated since atrocities by the Taliban in Afghanistan and Islamic terror attacks like 26/11 will never be forgotten.

British Royal Family remains ‘united’ even after Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries release

ANI
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British Royal Family remains ‘united’ even after Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries release

Despite the explosive docuseries about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the British royal family is standing as one and continues to be “united.” 

Arthur Edwards, a longtime royal photographer, recently told Page Six that Harry may say whatever he wants, but that “it won’t change anything” for the family. According to Page Six, Edwards, who has been snapping photos of the royals since 1977, recently attended the ‘Royal Carols: Together for Christmas’ concert at Westminster Abbey where the family including King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, walk down the aisle together. 

“Them walking united down the aisle together, both families just gave all the message to anybody they want to know: This family is united,” he said. 

When discussing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s choice to retire as senior working royals, Edwards exuded regret while talking to Page Six. 

“I was taken in by Meghan. It must be honest. I thought she was a rock star,” he told Page Six. 

“I thought she was going to really take off because we covered that first 18 months, and it was a whirlwind … and she was sensational.” 

“He (Harry) was just just a really special type of guy,” Edward said. 

“You know, he was he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed at school. But I mean, he went on to achieve an awful lot, and did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, which is pretty impressive. And I liked him a lot and I loved working with him.” 

But, Edward added, that once Harry married Meghan their friendly connection with photographers quickly ended. This included bringing them out for drinks at the end of royal visits. 

“And then Meghan came along and suddenly went, stopped,” he revealed to Page Six. 

“She didn’t want to meet us. We asked three times. She didn’t want to know. And now I suspect that she had an agenda and that was always the plan.” 

Despite insisting that he “loved working” with Harry and will “miss him so much,” Edwards is undoubtedly upset by the docu-series ‘Harry & Meghan’ and Harry’s impending memoir, “Spare,” which is scheduled to be published next month. 

“That will probably have some not-very-nice stories about the royal family in it,” he said. 

“But he can’t keep doing that. You can’t keep attacking the family. You know, there’s got to be something else … Why doesn’t he use that platform to promote his charities? He’s got some amazing charities that he sponsors. The Invictus Games and the Senetable Aid is helping kids in Africa find schools and (learning) to read and write.” 

“And so I can’t feel bad towards Harry,” he continued telling Page Six. 

“I look for the good in people, not the bad and he is basically a very good person.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

UN expresses concern over ban on women working in NGOs in Afghanistan, seeks clarification from Taliban

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UN expresses concern over ban on women working in NGOs in Afghanistan, seeks clarification from Taliban

United Nations is seeking to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order barring all female employees of national and international organizations (NGOs) from going to work, according to the UN Humanitarian office, OCHA.

“The UN will seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order. Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Saturday. “Their participation must be both respected and safeguarded. This latest decision will only further hurt those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” the statement added.

On Saturday, the Taliban regime ordered all local and foreign NGOs to stop female employees from coming to work in the country. The Taliban-led Ministry of Economy (MOE) ordered all national and international non-government organizations to suspend the jobs of female employees until further announcement, TOLOnews reported.

This order came only a few days after the Taliban ordered the closure of universities to female students across the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about the ban imposed by the Taliban on women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

“The Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by the reported order of the de facto Taliban authorities banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations,” said Secretary-General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

“This decision will undermine the work of numerous organizations working across the country helping those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” he added.

The United Nations and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive. The reported ban on women working with the international community to save lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan will cause further untold hardship for the people of Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General reiterated the rights of all women to participate in the workforce thus contributing to the greater good.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Merry Christmas’ is Haram and even good Christians have to go to Hell: Here are some of the claims of Zakir Naik

Dibakar Dutta
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‘Merry Christmas’ is Haram and even good Christians have to go to Hell: Here are some of the claims of Zakir Naik

Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, who has been on the run from Indian law enforcement authorities, is not new to controversies. On Sunday (December 25), he took to Facebook to claim that modern-day Christians do not believe in the ‘virgin birth’ of Jesus Christ.

Coinciding with the occasion of Christmas, Naik posted a 12-second video on the social media platform to suggest that Muslims believe in the story of the birth of Jesus Christ more than Christians.

“Muslims believe that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was born miraculously without any male intervention, which many Christians today do not believe,” the caption of the video read.

Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to your Christian friends is Haram: Zakir Naik

However, this bizarre assertion is nothing compared to his earlier statements on Christmas and Christians in general. In a video from April 2019, Zakir Naik was seen admonishing a Muslim boy named Adel Ahmed for committing ‘sin’ by wishing ‘Merry Christmas’ to his friends.

This is despite the fact that Ahmed was a resident of England, a Christian-majority country, and greeting people at festivals is a common practice throughout the globe.

“To reach your goals, you cannot use the wrong means brother. What is Haram to them is also Haram to you. When you are wishing Merry Christmas to them, you are agreeing that he is the son of God and that is Shirk (sin),” Zakir Naik was heard as saying.

“Because they (Christians) believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Irrespective of whether they are practising Christians or not, they celebrate the day because of His birthday,” he emphasised.

Zakir Naik is of the belief that Allah is the supreme creator of the world and thus the worship of Jesus Christ, aka anyone other than Allah, is, therefore, a sin.

The Islamic scholar informed that he invites (Dawah) Christians on December 25, only to dismiss their belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God by coercing them to cite verses from the Bible as proof.

“Is saying Merry Christmas wrong? I am telling you it is wrong. It is 100% wrong according to me,” he reiterated. Naik further added, “If you don’t know what Christmas stands for and happen to wish someone on that day, Allah may forgive you. If you drink alcohol, mistaking it for Pepsi, Allah may forgive you.”

He concluded, “But if you are doing it to build a relationship after knowing what Christmas stands for, you are building your place in Jahannam (Hell). Therefore, for reaching good means, you never have to follow bad means. You have to follow the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah.”

Christians bound for Hell even if they are ‘good’ like Mother Teresa, claims hate preacher

In March last year, Zakir Naik announced that even Christians such as Mother Teresa would go to Hell by virtue of being non-Muslim.

On being asked whether ‘righteous’ and ‘good’ non-Muslims such as Mother Teresa would still go to Hell, he replied, “There are four ways of going to Jannah (paradise).”

He explained, “By the token of time, a man is in a state of loss except those who have Faith, those who are righteous, those who do Dawah and those who exhort people to do patience and perseverance. Minimum four criteria are required to go to Jannah.”

Zakir Naik then proceeded to compare the ‘four steps to Jannah’ to the subjects that he studied in 10th Std. He emphasised that even if someone got 99 marks in 5 subjects and managed to secure 10 marks in just one subject, then, it would imply that the student has failed.

While continuing with his irrational argument, Naik claimed that Jannah could only be achieved on the successful completion of all four steps.

“For the sake of argument, let’s assume that Mother Teresa was righteous. In Islam, righteous includes a lot of things, which I believe that Mother Teresa did not have. What about Imaan (Faith in Islam)? If she does Shirk (follow any religion other than Islam and thus prohibited)…” he said.

Naik alleged that committing ‘shirk’ is a crime according to Islam and Christianity. In his usual style, he quoted the Book of Deuteronomy, Book of Exodus and Surah Al Ma’idah.

The hate preacher claimed that ‘Allah’ will make paradise ‘haram’ (prohibited) for all those who consider Jesus Christ (the son of Mary) as God. “Fire (Hell) shall his dwelling place be and he shall have no help hereafter,” Zakir Naik cited the Islamic religious text.

He thus suggested that Mother Teresa will be condemned to Hell for mistaking Jesus Christ as God and putting Him at par with ‘Allah’. Zakir Naik concluded, “So, according to Jesus Christ, Quran and the Bible, if anybody does Shirk, be it Mother Teresa or anyone else, they shall not enter Jannah.”

Monkey killed and hanged near Chamunda temple in Amroha, FIR registered against unknown persons

OpIndia Staff
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Monkey killed and hanged near Chamunda temple in Amroha, FIR registered against unknown persons

A monkey has been killed in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh and his corpse was hanged near the Chamunda temple. Hindu organisations have expressed displeasure over this matter and demanded strict action against the culprits. On the complaint of the priest, the police registered an FIR and started an investigation. The incident took place on Saturday, December 24, 2022.

According to reports, the incident happened in the Didauli police station area. There is a Hindu temple of Goddess Chamunda in the local market named Zoya market. The temple is located behind the police post in the area. Acharya Vijay Tiwari is the priest who performs rituals and prayers in this temple.

On Saturday, the priest had gone to collect dry wood from the ruins near the temple. At that time, he saw the dead body of a monkey. The monkey was killed by someone and hanged at the main gate of the ruins. The priest informed the people nearby. Shortly after, people associated with the Hindu organisations in the region also gathered at the spot.

A monkey was killed in Amroha. Image Source: Jagran

The locals started demanding the arrest of the accused who killed the monkey. When the incident was reported to the police, they immediately reached the spot. The police calmed the angry people down and assured strict action against the culprits.

After some time, the monkey’s body was taken down. It was sent for post-mortem to the veterinary department under the supervision of local officials. Meanwhile, a video featuring monkey’s dead body also went viral on social media.

Members of the local Hindu organisations have given the police a week’s time to arrest the accused. They said that if action is not taken within the stipulated time, a fierce agitation will be launched.

In this case, the police say that an FIR has been registered against the unidentified accused on the complaint of priest Vijay Tiwari. Further action will be taken on the basis of the post-mortem report. No arrest has been made in the case so far.

Chinese have been intruding into Indian territory in Arunachal to collect expensive fungus known as Himalayan Gold, says report

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Chinese have been intruding into Indian territory in Arunachal to collect expensive fungus known as Himalayan Gold, says report

Several attempts of Chinese intrusion into Indian territory were to collect Cordyceps, also known as caterpillar fungus or the Himalayan Gold, an expensive herbal drug in China, according to the Indo-Pacific Centre for Strategic Communications (IPCSC).

Chinese soldiers have been accused of illegally entering Arunachal Pradesh in search of the fungus which is claimed to be costlier than gold in China. Cordyceps is mainly found in the Indian Himalayas and at higher altitudes of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in southwestern China.

Globally, in 2022, the Cordyceps market has been valued at USD 1,072.50 million. China is the largest producer as well as exporter of Cordyceps.

However, according to IPCSC, “In the last two years, the Cordyceps harvest has waned in Qinghai, the largest producing region in China as the fungus grew scarce. At the same time, demand for the highly prized Cordyceps has increased sharply in the last decade as an emerging Chinese middle class seeks it to cure everything from kidney disorders to impotence, despite a lack of scientific evidence.”

High demand and limited resources have led to the fungus’ overharvesting, experts say.

“Output fell to 41,200 kg in 2018 from 43,500 kg a year earlier, a 5.2 percent slump, revealed data from the bureau. That’s a fraction of the 150,000 kg reported by provincial media for 2010 and 2011,” according to the IPCSC.

Chinese Cordyceps companies in Qinghai have in recent years been paying the locals millions of yuans to block off entire mountains for Cordyceps harvesting.

Surveys show that the annual Cordyceps harvest has declined. This according to the collectors, can be attributed to overharvesting.

According to IPCSC: “Some towns in the Himalayas rely on collecting and selling this fungus for a living. In fact, experts say that up to 80 percent of household income in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas can come from selling caterpillar fungus.”

The Cordyceps mushroom is well known for its gruesome eating habits: it is well-known that its spores kill insects by infecting them, and the dead insects’ flesh sprouts fully developed fruiting bodies of the Cordyceps fungus.

The bioactive molecule cordycepin found in cordyceps has great therapeutic potential and may one day be turned into an effective new antiviral and anti-cancer treatment.

The mushrooms are rare in the wild, and up until now, growing healthy Cordyceps in the lab has been difficult, hindering scientific research.

However, Professor Mi Kyeong Lee of Chungbuk National University and her team, including Dr Ayman Turk, have discovered a way to grow these elusive fungi in a controlled environment without losing their potency. Their findings are published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Bihar: Mohammed Kalamuddin arrested at Darbhanga airport with live cartridges, several fake ID cards also recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Mohammed Kalamuddin arrested at Darbhanga airport with live cartridges, several fake ID cards also recovered

On Saturday, December 25,  a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel posted at Darbhanga airport in Bihar nabbed a passenger named Mohammed Kalamuddin alias Nayar for trying to enter the airport with live cartridges. During the security check, three live cartridges and a magazine were found in his luggage.

Reportedly, a resident of Dhaka village in East Champaran, Kalamuddin reached Darbhanga airport to board a Mumbai-bound flight when live cartridges and a magazine were discovered in his luggage during the scan at the airport security check. 

The arrested person was handed over by the airport security to Darbhanga police for further investigation.

Notably, police have recovered multiple identity cards,  ATM cards, 2 mobile phones, and two bags from Kalamuddin. Besides, a press card from an Urdu newspaper, and a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) card have also been recovered from Kalamuddin’s luggage.

Amit Kumar,  Sadar SDPO, told ANI, “An accused named Kalamuddin was detained at the airport while en route to Mumbai via flight for carrying three bullets and one magazine. He is being interrogated.  Some ID cards, including a Press card and an NHRC card, were found in his possession. The probe is underway.”

SDPO Amit Kumar informed that police and other probe agencies are currently questioning Kalamuddin. During questioning, Kalamuddin is frequently changing his statements. Police are also investigating his mobile phones to collect more information, SDPO Kumar added.

As Rahul Gandhi says, cows came to his rally and were not hurt, time to recall how Congress workers slaughtered a calf in the middle of the road

OpIndia Staff
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As Rahul Gandhi says, cows came to his rally and were not hurt, time to recall how Congress workers slaughtered a calf in the middle of the road

On December 24, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra went on a 9-day break. In the last leg of the Yatra at Delhi before the 9-day holiday, Rahul Gandhi addressed the participating ‘Yatris’ and claimed that animals like dogs, cows, buffalos, and pigs joined the Yatra, and no one was harmed. The Yatra which started on September 7, spent around 18 days in Kerala. Notably, Kerala Congress leaders had slaughtered a cow in the middle of the road a few years back in order to make a political point.

‘Dogs, cows, buffalos, and pigs joined Bharat Jodo Yatra’

Gandhi claimed that different types of animals also joined the Yatra. He said, “You must have seen the Yatra. Have you seen any violence during the Yatra? Did anyone hurt anyone? Did anyone abuse anyone? No. Did you see hate in this Yatra? Did anyone ask about your religion, caste, or gender? No. No one even pointed out your clothes. I don’t know if you have noticed, but dogs joined the Yatra. Dogs came… no one hit the dogs. Cows, buffalos, and pigs also joined the Yatra. I have seen it. All animals came. All people came. There were no hate, violence, or wrong questions.” He also pointed out that leaders from Haryana and Kerala fell during Yatra, and people helped them.

Rahul Gandhi forgot what his party members did in Kerala

While giving this speech, flaunting how his Yatra was bringing people and animals together and spreading the message of love and peace, Gandhi completely forgot or ignored what his fellow party members did in Kerala. In 2017, in defiance of the centre’s move to enforce a cow slaughter ban, Rijil Makkutty and his aides dragged a calf and brutally slaughtered it in the middle of the road. The cow is considered a sacred animal by Hindus, and the act of publicly slaughtering a calf was meant to send a signal to the Hindus and a pro-Hindu government at the centre.

Rahul Gandhi was then forced to try and limit the damage. “What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric & completely unacceptable to me & the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident,” he had tweeted.

However, the charade of having a genuine concern for the feelings of Hindus stood exposed as Makkutty continued to remain involved in party activities. The agony expressed by Rahul Gandhi on Social Media and the supposed ‘suspension’ of Rijil appeared as an eyewash.

The fact that Rahul had allowed Makkutty to continue to work for the Kerala State Congress unit asserted that he had no compunction in associating himself with someone who had wantonly hurt the Hindu sentiments by butchering a calf. The pictures of Rijil and Rahul, and Priyanka, in the runup to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections testify to it.

Furthermore, Makkutty was also part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra when it was crossing Kerala. Gandhi was reportedly seen with him on September 26. Rijil Chandran Makkutty, the said IYC leader, had posted about the development on his official Facebook page. The meeting took place in Pattambi town in the Palakkad district. Rijil, who is currently serving as the Vice-President (Kerala) of the Indian Youth Congress, followed it up with another Facebook post on Thursday (September 30).

He claimed, “Yes, RSS is the enemy of the country. Rahul Gandhi is speaking out, without hesitation, against RSS hate politics. Yes, we can join hands against the hate politics of Sangh Parivar.” Rijil Chandran Makkutty also reminisced about the excitement he experienced while meeting the Congress scion.

Uttarakhand: Villagers protest against forced religious conversion attempt at a Christmas program, FIR registered

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Villagers protest against forced religious conversion attempt at a Christmas program, FIR registered

On Friday, December 23, just two days ahead of Christmas, locals of the Purola village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi alleged that a Christian organisation was carrying out a mass conversion program.

As per an India Today report, villagers alleged that a sizeable crowd along with 12 Nepali citizens gathered at an under-construction building of the Christian Centre ahead of Christmas.

The incident took place on Friday afternoon at the Hope and Light Centre, where the villagers and the event organisers indulged in a heated argument over an alleged attempt by the Christian organisation to carry out the forced religious conversion. 

The villagers raised slogans in protest and reportedly, a group of 30 men belonging to Hindu organisations reached the spot and protested against the alleged conversion program.

Notably, Pastor Lazarus and his wife Sushma Cornelius, who were among the event’s organisers, clashed with protesting Hindu organisation activists. The couple was arrested by the police, but they were later released after the situation had calmed down.

The villagers and Hindu organization activists have demanded a probe into the alleged forced religious conversion angle. It has also been claimed that some Christian literature has also been recovered from the Centre.

It is notable that a video of the incident has been doing rounds on social. In the video, a local activist belonging to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleged that the people involved in conducting religious conversion belonged to a missionary. He further claimed that a Christian lady attacked the village women with sticks injuring a girl.

Speaking on the incident, Purola SDM Jitendra Kumar said that they have received complaints about conversion and scuffle and the probe is underway.

It is pertinent to mention here that a cross FIR has been filed against the Hindu organization activists.

Confirming the same Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said that FIR has been registered on the complaint of both parties and the police are investigating the case.

‘You will regret it if you don’t withdraw’: Chhello Show director Pan Nalin says he was threatened after making it to the Oscars as Indian entry

OpIndia Staff
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‘You will regret it if you don’t withdraw’: Chhello Show director Pan Nalin says he was threatened after making it to the Oscars as Indian entry

The Gujarati film Chhello Show was selected as India’s official entry in the best foreign film category for the 2023 Oscars. While the country is celebrating the success of the film, the film’s director Pan Nalin has made some shocking revelations about what he had to face following the film’s selection.

The Gujarati film Chhello Show came into the limelight overnight after it was nominated as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards this year. Given its popularity in the west, there was widespread speculation that SS Rajamouli’s RRR would be nominated for the Oscars, but the Indian jury surprised everyone with the selection of the small-budget Gujarati film Chhello Show.

While the entire team of the Chhello Show is receiving love and appreciation, the filmmaker made a shocking revelation about how he was threatened with warnings of consequences for not withdrawing from the Oscars. The filmmaker said his moments of joy turned into sorrow with abuses, threats, and warnings.

India’s official selection for the Oscars is done by the Film Federation of India. This year, the FFI jury designated the Chhello Show as India’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the prestigious awards. Many were surprised by the choice of the film as the Chhello Show was not considered a frontrunner before the announcement. Its selection has led to many raised eyebrows as several people questioned this selection.

In a recent conversation with Mid-Day, Pan Nalin talked about the online threats and warnings he faced before the film’s release. Sharing his experiences on the same, he said, “The worst cyber attack happened before the release of our film. My team was given warnings like ‘Withdraw your film from the Oscars or face the consequences.’ Instead of celebrating and promoting the film in the US, we were busy fighting this filth for three to four weeks.”

Pan Nalin is not a new name for Hollywood. Robert De Niro, one of the best actors the world has ever seen, made the Chhello Show an opening film at his prestigious Tribeca Film Festival.

The director added that people’s opinions changed after the film was released in theatres in late September and then on Netflix. He said, “When the Indian audience, film critics, and people from the industry finally saw the film, they couldn’t stop themselves from falling in love with it, and in the end, the cinema won.”

The Chhello Show at the Oscars will compete with other leading movies in the category, including Bardo from Mexico, Holy Spider from Denmark, All Quiet on the Western Front from Germany, Saint-Omer from France, Corsage from Austria, Eo from Poland, Return to Seoul from Cambodia, Decision to Leave from South Korea, Claus from Belgium, and Argentina, 1985 from Argentina among others.

The Gujarati film has been attacked in the past

Even before this, during the nomination, some TRS leaders and anti-Gujarat protesters protested against the film, alleging that the film had been nominated as elections are coming up in Gujarat. Everyone thought that south’s superhit RRR would get an entry from India at the Oscars, but due to the selection of this film, many people were left surprised. Many did not like the selection of the Gujarati film Chhello Show, beating super hit films like RRR and The Kashmir Files. Some small and big politicians also strongly opposed the film after its nomination.

Now filmmaker Pan Nalin has revealed that he had to face a lot of hatred after the film’s nomination. While the protesters hurled some abuses, many even threatened him to withdraw the film from the Oscars but he remained firm and refused to do any such thing.

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